Conor McGregor and Patrick Holohan won’t be the only Irish fighters competing at UFC Fight Night 59, as the promotion has announced that their countryman and teammate Cathal Pendred is also fighting at the event.

Conor McGregor and Patrick Holohan won’t be the only Irish fighters competing at UFC Fight Night 59, as the promotion has announced that their countryman and teammate Cathal Pendred is also fighting at the event.

The Straight Blast Gym welterweight will face Sean Spencer at the January 18th card, which will go down at Boston’s TD Garden Arena.

Pendred (15-2-1) will be looking to extend a 10 fight, undefeated streak, which includes Octagon victories over Mike King and Gasan Umalatov.

Spencer (12-3) is coming off a UD win over Paulo Thiago in September, after he dropped a split decision to Alex Garcia in March. The American is 3-2 in his last 5 bouts.

Mike King won’t be able to spend his recent “Fight of the Night” bonus after all, as the UFC is reporting that the middleweight failed his post UFC FN 46 drug test.

According to a statement from the promotion, King has tested positive for the banned substance nandrolone, following his submission loss to Cathal Pendred on July 19th.

UFC middleweight Mike King tested positive for nandrolone following his bout against Cathal Pendred at UFC Fight Night Dublin: McGregor vs. Brandao on July 19, 2014. He was informed that his positive test violated the UFC Fighter Conduct Policy and Promotional Agreement with Zuffa, LLC. The UFC has a strict, consistent policy against the use of any illegal and/or performance-enhancing drugs, stimulants or masking agents by our athletes. He agreed to serve a 9-month suspension retroactive to the event and must pass a drug test before receiving clearance to compete again. He will forfeit his $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus.

King appeared to be en route to victory in the memorable bout, but Pendred came from behind to choke out the TUF vet in round two.

Pendred posted the following comment on Twitter, after news of the suspension surfaced:

The line-up for UFC Fight Night 46 has picked up another of Ireland’s top fighters, as Dublin’s Cathal Pendred will take on TUF 19 teammate Mike King.

The upcoming card will be hosted by Dublin’s 02, and will feature Conor McGregor taking on Diego Brandao in the main event.

Pendred (13-2-1) was recently eliminated from the TUF 19 competition, as he lost via split decision to Eddie Gordon in the semifinals.

The Irish welterweight had this to say about the upcoming fight in the official announcement (via UFC.com):

“It will be an amazing feeling,” said Pendred. “I have been representing Ireland on the international stage of MMA for a few years. We might not wear a green jersey, but we walk to the octagon with the tri-colour wrapped around us with pride. We will be representing our nation on the biggest stage in our sport. Ireland didn´t qualify for the World Cup this summer, so July 19th will be our World Cup.”

King (5-0) was also eliminated by Gordon, as the Ohio fighter was decisioned by the latter in the quarterfinals.

So often we get caught up in sensationalist stories that do absolutely nothing but infuriate. To be sure, such stories usually need comment and sharp criticism. Yet, it’s a welcomed relief when a truly decent story, something… Read More

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Cathal Pendred

By Jesse Heitz

So often we get caught up in sensationalist stories that do absolutely nothing but infuriate. To be sure, such stories usually need comment and sharp criticism. Yet, it’s a welcomed relief when a truly decent story, something heartwarming comes along.

In a story that has captivated numerous news outlets, Irish fighter and “The Ultimate Fighter” contestant, Cathal Pendred, noticed a baby dolphin struggling to free itself from the shore along the Irish coast while taking a beachside stroll with his girlfriend. Pendred, as witnessed and photographed by nearby bystanders, relieved a man struggling to get the little beast back into the water and picked up the injured dolphin, carrying it into deeper water.

“There was a man in the water trying to help the dolphin and I went in to help. The man told me he had been there for a while trying to push him back out but the dolphin kept getting washed back in. The man said he was now exhausted so I told him I would take over trying to help…. I continued trying to push the dolphin out past the waves but he continued to get washed back in. He was bleeding and had a lot of cuts so I think it was due to these injuries that he wasn’t strong enough to swim past the break.”

Unfortunately, it appears that the little dolphin was found beached again the following night, but the outcome has little bearing on how refreshing this story is. Finally, there’s something pleasant to talk about. No more smear campaigns by MMA critics, or foul-mouthed vitriol from one fighter to another. No more random and obscure one-time fighter battling personal demons stories that cast the sport in a poor light.

Nope, this one is very different. Here a fighter, the sort often portrayed by certain segments of the media to be mere skull-thumping barbarians, did something selfless. This is precisely the type of story we should be talking about, a truly feel-good story.

Rising welterweight Cathal Pendred stopped UFC vet Che Mills in the third round at Cage Warriors latest event today in Dublin, Ireland. Pendred’s welterweight championship was not on the line as scheduled, however, due to… Read More

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Cathal Pendred (photo via Dolly Clew / Cage Warriors)

By FCF Staff

Rising welterweight Cathal Pendred stopped UFC vet Che Mills in the third round at Cage Warriors latest event today in Dublin, Ireland. Pendred’s welterweight championship was not on the line as scheduled, however, due to the fact that Mills missed weight.

With the win, Pendred’s record now stands at 13-2-1 while Mills’ fell to 15-6.

In another of the card’s features, Neil Seery submitted Mikael Silander to become the promotion’s first flyweight champ.